Philomena (2013) 69/100

Posted on November 3, 2013 by The Red Dragon

Rating : 69/100 98 Min

Be prepared for this film to make you very angry – not because it is faulty in any way, but because the true story it’s based on, and the way central character Philomena Lee is treated (by the Catholic church, shock, horror), is ghastly, inhumane, and sadly perhaps all too common for girls in her situation at the time concerned – as an effective prisoner in a convent in Ireland forced to watch as her child is given away to a wealthy family for adoption against her will. The film catches up with Philomena (Judi Dench) as an old woman in the present day who has been searching for her son her whole life, when a daughter from a later relationship introduces her to Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan – who co-wrote the screenplay along with Jeff Pope, adapting the story from Sixsmith’s novel ‘The Lost Child of Philomena Lee’), a journalist recently made redundant and who, being at a loose end, decides to investigate the case for Philomena and to write an article about the experience for publication.

Here, mixed in with the relation of real events, we find the traditional story arc of Sixsmith from jaded snoot only really interested in getting something into print, to the emotionally involved fighter in Philomena’s corner, and Coogan successfully manages the balancing act of introducing some ameliorating comedy and lightheartedness to the tough storyline. Dench’s Irish accent is one moment spot on, the next wavering, and then it’ll disappear completely, but vocal misgivings aside both leads give very good performances with a script that works overall, is well directed by Stephen Frears (‘Dangerous Liaisons’ 88, ‘High Fidelity’ 00, ‘The Queen’ 06) and a story that is sure to leave its mark on the audience. See ‘Oranges and Sunshine’ (10) for an even more brutal and heart wrenching tale on similar themes, and also the original ‘Bad Lieutenant’ (92) with Harvey Keitel for a similar contrast between the victim and the sympathiser.

Walesa – Man of Hope / Czlowiek z nadziei (2013) 69/100

Posted on October 30, 2013 by The Red Dragon

Rating : 69/100 127 Min

A very interesting film that charts the rise of electrician Lech Walesa, from dockland worker in Gdansk in the early seventies to the co-founder and leader of the first independent trade union movement in Poland (and indeed the Soviet bloc) over the next two decades, and eventually the winner of the Nobel peace prize and the presidency of the Polish nation. Internationally respected director Andrzej Wajda had in mind to simply relate a factual account of events, without the traditional sort of narrative that we might expect from a Hollywood biography – and the result is a fascinating story, albeit one that does lack a certain emotional connection at times.

Mixed in with the relation of events chronologically is an interview with Walesa that seems to try and provide insights into his character not given elsewhere, but here the film is at its weakest, with the meaning a little too ambiguous and unclear (anyone under the microscope in an interview is already giving us an out of context glimpse of their personality, likely with an agenda behind their answers) and the heavy stylised use of cigarettes – smoking certainly fits into the historical context here, but with the interview it serves no real purpose, and for a film decrying the corruption of big business it seems markedly odd to be kowtowing to one of the most pervasive, corrupt and destructive businesses there has ever been.

Notwithstanding the occasional drifting of one’s attention, the tale is a fascinating and important one, promoting the rights of the common man as well as the power of self belief and determination to accomplish truly great deeds, as we watch Walesa battle against severe, and at times deadly, political forces. Robert Wieckiewicz as Walesa is believable throughout and seems perfect for the role, with Agnieszka Grochowska as his beautiful but constantly stressed out wife just as good. Real archive footage was used throughout – sometimes with Wieckiewicz’s face digitally imposed on top, and the style of the film very much mirrors one shot in the seventies.

Enough Said (2013) 69/100

Posted on October 30, 2013 by The Red Dragon

Rating : 69/100 93 Min

This low key drama featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener and Toni Collette starts off badly with very little of any interest going on at all, and indeed a rather poor line when an adult witnesses a child dropping litter and chides her saying “What are you doing? You’re not British!”. Not impressed.

Eventually though, the film successfully gives us the impression that we are witnessing the lives of real people and therein lies the hook for the audience, as we watch divorcee Eva (Louis-Dreyfus) begin to fall in love with Gandolfini whilst she also comes to realise Keener, one of her massage patients, is the ex-wife of her new lover – an ex-wife who bitches about him constantly.

There is a bit of a spoiler in the trailer for this, so I would recommend avoiding it if you’re planning on watching the movie, but it becomes a pretty good drama with a small dash of understated comedy, and one that is laced with sadness being the penultimate film to feature the much loved Gandolfini, who passed away from a heart attack earlier this year. A performance made all the more poignant by its vulnerability and contrast to his more common, heavily masculine roles.

Blue Jasmine (2013) 69/100

Posted on October 3, 2013 by The Red Dragon

Rating : 69/100 98 Min

As a comedy, this is for the most part dead in the water. As a dramatic character portrayal, is it a sad but very effective exposé – largely thanks to another tremendous central performance from Cate Blanchett as the beleaguered Jasmine, formerly named Jeanette, who was once hostess to the cream of New York society, but is now forced to live with her sister in San Francisco (where most of the film is set) after her rich husband was exposed for fraud, jailed, and all of their assets were seized by the state.

It is Woody Allen’s latest film after last year’s ‘To Rome with Love’, and here we see the return of Alec Baldwin in support, along with Peter Sarsgaard, Sally Hawkins and Bobby Cannavale, the latter two of which are particularly good in their roles, but at its heart Blanchett is the driving force – managing to make a troubled, neurotic character who is essentially unlikeable in the beginning, into a nuanced individual engaging the audience’s empathy, whilst still expanding on her central negative traits, something Woody Allen excels at. Quite possibly another deserved Oscar nomination coming her way … (she has one win so far for best supporting actress as Katharine Hepburn in Scorsese’s ‘The Aviator’ 04, and four nominations; best actress for ‘Elizabeth’ 98 and ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’ 07, best supporting actress for ‘Notes on a Scandal’ 06 and ‘I’m Not There’ 07)

Cate Blanchett talks about her experience of making the film

Any Day Now (2012) 69/100

Posted on September 12, 2013 by The Red Dragon

Rating : 69/100 97 Min

Touted as Alan Cumming’s best performance to date, a statement I would not disagree with, this tells the true story of an American homosexual couple’s fight in the 1970s to win custody over a child with Down syndrome from his drug addicted, and neglectful to the point of criminality, mother. Cumming (who, incidentally, grow up around Carnoustie in Scotland – the same home town as Ian McDiarmid, a.k.a. the emperor in the Star Wars franchise {episodes I, II, III & VI}, a character that in light of the new films currently lined up may or may not have survived the events of ‘The Return of the Jedi’ 84) plays Rudy Donatello, the more flamboyant and outspoken of the two, whose occupation at the opening of the film is as a miming drag queen in a gay nightclub, whilst his partner Paul Fliger, played by Garret Dillahunt, is a district attorney.

It’s a tough, and yet important story, highlighting human prejudice and the failings of the legal system in America designed to safeguard vulnerable minors. Despite its worthiness, however, I would be lying if I said I found it easy to become especially emotionally involved with the film. It is perhaps due to the story spending too much time focusing on the adults and the ramifications of their sexual orientation, rather than the experiences of the child, Marco (played here by Isaac Leyva), which is where the connection with the audience should be centred. It’s still a good film though, and Cumming gets the opportunity to show us he can sing as well as act (the title comes from a line in the song ‘I Shall be Released’ by Bob Dylan).

Interestingly, Cumming and fellow actor Brian Cox (who is from Dundee, just west of Carnoustie) were two of the speakers at the launch of the ‘Yes campaign’ for Scottish independence, a launch that took place at Cineworld in Edinburgh and seen politics nod very heavily to the powerful influence of cinema. Indeed, analysts are predicting the ‘Braveheart generation’ to play a key role in deciding the vote in 2014 – that is, the people who were growing up when the film was released in 1995. Ah humans, bless them. I remember the olden days of independence and the comings and goings of the English, the French, the Vikings, the Scots, the Picts, the Romans, the Celts, the Africans … everyone who came to Scotland eventually fell in love with the land and were welcomed by the natives. Or we killed them. One of the two.

The Heat (2013) 69/100

Posted on August 7, 2013 by The Red Dragon

Rating : 69/100 117 Min

From Paul Feig, director of 2011’s ‘Bridesmaids’, and starring Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock, ‘The Heat’ is a comedy arising from a very traditional good cop/bad cop buddy routine, with Bullock’s FBI agent Ashburn and McCarthy’s local hard ass Boston cop Mullins forced to combine their various talents to close in on an especially violent drugland boss. The focus is on the comedy throughout, and it constantly delivers the goods – usually by way of the foul mouthed and fierily on form McCarthy. The character of the too straight laced and socially awkward/professionally unliked Ashburn grates on more than one occasion, with very obvious gags such as Mullins trying to loosen her up and make her appear ‘sexy’ to seduce one of the bad guys, and with the general feel of the character evoking memories of several in Bullock’s back catalogue (her Razzie winning role in ‘All About Steve’ 09 for example {although it really wasn’t bad enough to merit a Razzie}).

McCarthy continues to go from comedic strength to strength, using her strong screen presence and her mischievous wit to memorably amusing effect. Should prove both enjoyable, and slightly irritating, in equal measure for both sexes.

Now You See Me (2013) 69/100

Posted on July 6, 2013 by The Red Dragon

Rating : 69/100 115 Min

This film is a lot of fun, but it is let down by the trailer to a large degree, and the suspense it successfully builds begins to decidedly peter out toward the final act. Dave Franco (younger brother of James Franco), Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher and Woody Harrelson all play magicians who come together to form an ensemble act, cumulatively, and bombastically, calling themselves the Four Horsemen. After one of their shows sees them use their powers to commit theft on a grand scale, the authorities are called in (here in the guise of Mark Ruffalo, joined by the sultry Melanie Laurent), but who is behind the group and what is their ultimate goal? Equally, how real, or how magic, is the magic? Well, I won’t ruin that element, but the film doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the twists and turns aren’t all that hidden – we’re given hints to what’s coming all the way through, but we’re also told that most magic is simply misdirection …. (also with Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman in support).

The Last Detail (1973) 69/100

Posted on December 12, 2012 by The Red Dragon

Rating : 69/100 104 Min

Starring a young Randy Quaid, a youngish Jack Nicholson, and Otis Young, ‘The Last Detail’ follows the exploits of three US marines as two of them are put in charge of escorting the third across the country to Portland, where he is due to begin serving an eight year prison sentence for the grand crime of attempting to steal forty dollars from a collection fund for Polio victims. The harsh sentence forms the primer for the relationships that evolve and, despite the unrestored film quality looking decidedly dated, the story and the three leads have enough strength to make this an interesting and noteworthy film. Unfazed at being almost comically dwarfed by the physical stature of his two companions, this is a quintessential performance of Jack Nicholson being, well, Jack Nicholson, whose impish impiety finds itself more than at home in the body of a sailor on a road trip to an earthly hell.

The Imposter (2012) 69/100

Posted on December 10, 2012 by The Red Dragon

Rating : 69/100 99 Min

Very interesting. Always remember when you are watching a documentary that you are often being manipulated, both in terms of character and narrative, just as with a work of fiction. The film tells the true story, through interviews with the actual people involved, of how a Frenchman living in Spain was able to pass himself off as the long disappeared son of a Texan family. Gets off to a slow start but worth sticking with it. Also features someone who may be the worst FBI agent ever….

Worth remembering too whilst you watch this that when someone looks up and to the right with their eyes they are accessing the imaginative part of their mind, as opposed to up and to the left, which means they’re accessing the visual cortex and long-term memory (that is, according to Samuel L. Jackson in ‘The Negotiator’ {98}. Which I’m told is a simplified version of the truth …).

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